2003's excellent
Eddi Reader Sings the Songs of Robert Burns found the Glasgow native exploring her Scottish roots, a thread she continues to uncoil on
Peacetime. Whether the piece is
traditional or contemporary,
Reader is a first-class interpreter of songs, and her abilities as a singer are indisputably rare. While she can wield her regional lilt like a highland princess (
"Mary and the Soldier"),
Reader never comes across as a
Celtic folk singer. 2002's
Driftwood found her tackling tunes from the pens of North American songwriters like
Ron Sexsmith and
David Rawlings, and
Peacetime, despite its overall penchant for
traditional works, feels more like that album than it does the
Burns collection --
Reader's two duets with
the Trash Can Sinatras'
John Douglas are highlights. Produced by lauded fiddler
John McCusker, who added a lovely brass quintet to the
"Shepherd's Song," the arrangements are impeccable, though a tad on the safe,
adult contemporary side -- both
"Galileo (Someone Like You)" and the title cut are lovely but impossibly shiny, but fans of
Reader and her closest contemporary
Kate Rusby will find much to love here, especially on charming renditions of
"Calton Weaver" (better known as
"Nancy Whiskey" to all of you
Pogues fans) and
Burns'
"Leezie Lindsay," and listeners who count the contributions of longtime guitarist
Boo Hewerdine as high points of each album will love his superb
"Muddy Water." [
Peacetime was also released with a bonus track.] ~ James Christopher Monger
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